Intel and Nokia start joint laboratory, talk of a 3D future for MeeGo

At Mobile World Congress, Nokia and Intel confirmed they were joining hands in holy matrimony to create a new mobile phone platform called MeeGo, now almost 9 months later the two companies are getting ready for the birth of their first child with the news that they will be creating a joint laboratory together.

"One of the first objectives of the new lab is to create new and compelling mobile user experiences that leverage the rapidly increasing capabilities of mobile devices", say the two companies, who'll be hiring "about two dozen" R&D professionals.

According to "Intokia" (see what we've done there), the lab will conduct research for new and compelling mobile user experiences that could leverage the rapidly increasing capabilities of mobile devices.

Meaning that: "creating interfaces that are more similar to interactions in the real world can enable experiences that are more natural and intuitive, in the same way that modern games and movies are more immersive through the use of realistic 3-D graphics", say the two in an official statement.

Jumping on the buzz word du jour, MeeGo supposedly "provides the greatest flexibility for developing new 3-D experiences on mobile devices as much of the lab’s research activity will also be open source".

According to Nokia and Intel they are looking at the possibility of creating a 3D hologram of the person you are talking to on the phone, to allow consumers to "feel more involved and engaged with their mobile experience than with current methods".

“3-D technology could change the way we use our mobile devices and make our experiences with them much more immersive”, said Rich Green, senior vice president and chief technical officer, Nokia. “Our new joint laboratory with Intel draws on the Oulu research community’s 3D interface expertise, and over time will lay down some important foundations for future mobile experiences”.

The lab will be located at the Center for Internet Excellence at the University of Oulu.

Stuart has been a tech journalist since 1998 and written for a number of publications around the world. Regularly turning up on television, radio and in newspapers, Stuart has played with virtually every gadget available.